


Hey Dude, I Need Your Pants

by goodmanperfectsoldier



Series: College Chemistry [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Inspired by Twitter, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 19:52:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18430955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodmanperfectsoldier/pseuds/goodmanperfectsoldier
Summary: Bucky’s minding his own business when the cutest guy he’s ever seen in his life runs up to him, wheezing, and asks to borrow his... pants?College is weird, Bucky thinks.





	Hey Dude, I Need Your Pants

Bucky is walking to the library, minding his own business, enjoying the warm spring breeze blowing across the quad, when the cutest boy he’s ever seen in his life skids to a stop in front of him, blocking his path. He’s small, like Bucky could just pick him up if he wanted. His blond hair is fluffy and soft-looking, but his cheekbones could probably cut glass. He’s adorable and _exactly Bucky’s type._   
  
“Uh,” Bucky starts, before realizing that the boy, cute as he is, is also out of breath. “Whoa, are you okay?”

The boy leans over and puts his hands on his knees, wheezing a little. Bucky, familiar with post-cardio shortness-of-breath, says, “Oh, no, not like that, here,” and reaches out on impulse to guide this stranger into a better position: standing straight up, hands behind his head. The boy allows it, thankfully, because Bucky realizes a couple seconds too late that he shouldn’t just touch people without their express permission. “Sorry,” he says, his ears heating up. It takes the boy another few seconds to fully catch his breath.

“No—that’s okay—thank you,” he says, chest still heaving. “But I need—I need your pants.”

He needs Bucky’s...pants? What?

“What?” Bucky says, eloquently.

“I’ve got, shit,” the stranger says. “I’ve got lab in like ten minutes and I threw these shorts on today because it’s so nice out finally and I wasn’t thinking but I can’t go to lab like this and I tried to run home to change but there’s no time and if I’m late I can’t get in anyway so I need your pants,” he adds, all in one breath.

“Hold on, don’t get wheezy again,” Bucky says. It’s just about the weirdest favor he’s ever been asked for, from friend or stranger alike, but. This guy is…really cute. Bucky’s a complete sucker for golden blond hair and a pair of pretty blue eyes. Plus, Bucky notices, there’s a little rainbow flag pin on his bag. That’s a good sign.

“Sorry,” the boy says again. “I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t an emergency. I’ll lose a whole letter grade if I miss another lab and I’ve got a scholarship, so. If you’re gonna say no, can you do it so I can try someone else?” He fixes Bucky with a pleading gaze. Bucky doesn’t know this kid from Adam, but the expression looks somehow out of place on his delicate features. He wants to see him smile; Bucky’s pretty sure he’d light up a room with one grin.

“It’s okay,” Bucky finds himself saying. “I’ll do it. We gonna trade?” No way is he gonna fit into this guy’s shorts—Bucky’s got at least a foot and fifty pounds on him—but he’ll make it work. He’s got an extra hair tie somewhere, usually.

A look of relief washes over the blond’s face immediately. “Thank you, god. Okay, there’s a bathroom over here.” Bucky nods and follows him into the closest building.

They take separate stalls in the bathroom, and Bucky strips out of his sweats in a couple seconds, tossing them over the divider. A pair of cargo shorts lands on his head a moment later. He pulls them on and they just barely fit over his thighs and hips. They must’ve been loose on their owner, and thank god. Bucky can’t button them, but the zipper pulls up once he sucks in a deep breath, and he tugs the elastic out of his hair to get the button taken care of.

He throws his backpack back over his shoulder, but before he can exit the stall, a hand pokes under the door, holding a piece of paper. Bucky reaches down and takes it—it has a phone number hastily scribbled down, and a name: Steve.

“I have to go or I won’t make it,” Steve says from the other side. “Text me!” And then he’s gone, the slam of the bathroom door echoing across the tile.

Bucky pulls his phone out of his backpack and plugs the number in, then sends a text: “Hey, Steve. This is Bucky, the pants guy. Hope you make it on time but don’t die on the way, please. I like those sweats :)” Bucky sticks his phone and the slip of paper back in his bag—no way he’s getting anything in any of the pockets on these shorts, they’re way too tight—and sighs. College is so weird sometimes.

He figures he’s got a couple hours before Steve is done, but he can’t be sure, so he stays on campus and heads to the library. Up on the fifth floor, everyone is way too absorbed in their own shit to notice Bucky at all, much less the almost obscene way these shorts fit him, so he decides that’s a safe place to hang. At least he has some work to do.

Bucky loses himself in his studies for awhile, only coming back to reality a couple of times when the waistband of the shorts digs into him too much and he has to stop and adjust. Finally, a few hours later, his phone buzzes. “Steve (shorts)” pops up on the screen, and Bucky grins and unlocks it.

“Made it on time! Didn’t die :) Tell me where to meet you and we can swap back. I owe you big, let me know how I can make it up to you—I can Venmo you or something?” Bucky shakes his head. This guy is too much.

“I’m glad,” Bucky types out. “I just want my pants back! I’m at the library if you wanna head this way. And, well. If this is totally out of line, I understand (and I won’t hold your shorts hostage). But I wouldn’t say no to a date?” Bucky bites his lip and hesitates a second—maybe the pin just meant he’s an ally? Or maybe he’s not single?—but he presses send anyway. If Steve says no, that’s totally okay. But no one will ever be able to say Bucky didn’t shoot his shot.

The wait for a reply is agonizing, even though it’s only a couple minutes. And then, to Bucky’s wonder and excitement, Steve answers: “Well, I already got into your pants, so how could I say no? I’d love to go on a date with you, Pants Guy. I’ll be at the library in a few :)” Bucky lets out a bark of delighted laughter and is shushed by at least four people. He waves an apology to the room at large and gets up to make his way downstairs.

Steve’s gonna be a handful, he can already tell, and Bucky thinks he’s gonna love every minute of it.

**Author's Note:**

> \- based on [this tweet](https://twitter.com/softestbuck/status/1116305100916572162?s=20)  
> \- many thanks to [aka_spacedog](https://twitter.com/aka_spacedog) for the quick beta read and kind comments!  
> \- don't forget that I've declared 2019 the Year of Self-Indulgence! NO SHAME, WE SELF-INDULGE LIKE MEN #indulgeyoself2k19  
> \- check me out on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/softestbuck) for, frankly, a bunch of nonsense


End file.
